CAIRO, Egypt - Osama bin Laden will release a video ahead of the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks in what would provide the first new images of the terror mastermind in nearly three years, al-Qaida’s media arm announced Thursday.

Analysts noted that al-Qaida tends to mark the Sept. 11 anniversary with a slew of messages, and the Department of Homeland Security said it had no credible information warning of an imminent threat to the United States.

Still, bin Laden’s appearance would be significant. The al-Qaida leader has not appeared in new video footage since October 2004, and he has not put out a new audiotape in more than a year, his longest period without a message.

One difference in his appearance was immediately obvious. The announcement had a still photo from the coming video, showing bin Laden addressing the camera, his beard fully black. In his past videos, bin Laden’s beard was almost entirely gray with dark streaks.

Bin Laden’s beard appears to have been dyed, a popular practice among Arab leaders, said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute, a Washington-based group that monitors terror messages.

“I think it works for their (al-Qaida’s) benefit that he looks young, he looks healthy,” Katz said.

The announcement and photo appeared in a banner advertisement on an Islamic militant Web site where al-Qaida’s media arm, Al-Sahab, frequently posts messages.

“Soon, God willing, a videotape from the lion sheik Osama bin Laden, God preserve him,” the advertisement read, signed by Al-Sahab. Such announcements are usually put out one to three days before the video is posted on the Web.

Video expected before 9/11

IntelCenter, which monitors Islamic Web sites and analyzes terror threats, said the video was expected within the next 72 hours, before the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijacker attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

The anniversary has always been a major media event for al-Qaida — a chance for it to drum up support among extremists, tout itself as the leading militant group and show off its continued survival.

“They’ve always gone out of their way to commemorate it,” said Ben Venzke, chief executive officer of IntelCenter, which is based in Alexandria, Va. “Historically the anniversary of 9/11 has never been drawn to attacks. It’s drawn to video releases.”

But the fact that bin Laden is delivering the message is significant, he said. Whether the message will indicate a potential attack will depend on what bin Laden says.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said he could not confirm the existence of a tape, “and there is no credible information at this time warning of an imminent threat to the homeland.” But he said increased activity overseas and recent arrests of militants in Germany reinforce the department’s assessment that the country is in a period of increased risk.

First video in nearly 3 years
If bin Laden does appear in new footage, it would be the first images of him since an Oct. 29, 2004, videotape, just before the U.S. presidential elections. In that appearance three years ago, he said America could avoid another 9/11 style attack if it stopped threatening Muslims.

The new video would also end the longest period bin Laden has gone without releasing a message. His last audiotape was on July 1, 2006, in which he welcomed a new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq succeeding the slain Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Bin Laden went silent for a similar long stretch before — from Dec. 28, 2004, to Jan. 19, 2006. That absence sparked widespread speculation he was ill, wounded or dead.

There has been little such speculation since then. U.S. officials have repeatedly said over the past year they believe the al-Qaida leader is alive. He is thought to be hiding in the tribal regions of western Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan.

During bin Laden’s silence, his deputy, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri, has been frequently issuing videos and audiotapes.

Al-Zawahri appeared in a 2006 video marking the 9/11 anniversary. An anniversary video in 2003 showed footage of bin Laden and al-Zawahri walking through mountain paths, with voice-over messages from both leaders.

For some strange reason the restaurant scene came to mind from Scarface when he says, "You need people like me so you can feel better about yourself, the bad guy." Or something like that. Bin Laden is like the worlds biggest boogie man or something.

ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: ABC News has obtained a transcript of the latest taped message from Osama bin Laden.
Sources tell ABC News the tape, bin Laden's first message in three years, is approximately 30 minutes long, and does not contain overt threats to the United States.
According to the transcript, which can be viewed by clicking here, bin Laden opens with "praise to Allah" and his "law of retaliation" -- "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth and the killer is killed."
Bin Laden also spoke to the ongoing situation in Iraq throughout the tape, heavily criticizing the Bush administration.
He says to the American people, "you made one of your greatest mistakes, in that you neither brought to account nor punished those who waged this war, not even the most violent of its murderers, [former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld…"
"You permitted Bush to complete his first term, and stranger still, chose him for a second term, which gave him a clear mandate from you -- with your full knowledge and consent -- to continue to murder our people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then you claim to be innocent! The innocence of yours is like my innocence of the blood of your sons on the 11th -- were I to claim such a thing."
Bin Laden says President Bush's words echo "neoconservatives like Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Richard Perle."

"People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped. Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven't made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there."
The transcript indicates that bin Laden refers to statements from U.S. soldiers in Iraq, from an interview taped by a British journalist. Portions of the interview aired in a July report on ABC News.
"It would benefit you to listen to the poignant messages of your soldiers in Iraq, who are paying -- with their blood, nerves and scattered limbs -- the price for these sorts of irresponsible statements," the transcript says.
"Among them is the eloquent message of Joshua which he sent by way of the media, in which he wipes the tears from his eyes and describes American politicians in harsh terms and invites them to join him there for a few days," the statement continues.
According to the transcript, bin Laden says there are two ways to end the war:
"The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you."
The second is to do away with the American democratic system of government. "It has now become clear to you and the entire world the impotence of the democratic system and how it plays with the interests of the peoples and their blood by sacrificing soldiers and populations to achieve the interests of the major corporations."
The rambling transcript also mentions French President Nicolas Sarkozy,
which suggests the tape was made after Sarkozy's election in May.
Bin Laden comes close to offering a date for the tape with this by saying, "... just a few days ago, the Japanese observed the 62nd anniversary of the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by your nuclear weapons." The anniversary was on August 6.
He goes on to call Noam Chomsky "among one of the most capable of those from your own side," and mentions global warming and "the Kyoto accord."
He also speaks to recent issues grabbing headlines in the United States, referring to "the reeling of many of you under the burden of interest-related debts, insane taxes and real estate mortgages; global warming and its woes..."
"To conclude," bin Laden says, "I invite you to embrace Islam." He goes on to say: "There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling 2.5 percent.”

He goes on to call Noam Chomsky "among one of the most capable of those from your own side," and mentions global warming and "the Kyoto accord."

Riiightttt. And I'm sure OBL wouldn't execute Chomsky if he had the chance; I mean it's not like he hates jews or anything. And if he was so very concerned about global warming, hows about not flying airliners full of fuel and such into our biggest skyscrapers? Imagine the carbon credits needed to offset that little cleanup and rebuilding project. Not buying what your selling, Uncle Osama.

Why should anyone take anything a mass murderer says seriously unless its about who he wants to kill next? This piece of garbage happily ordered the death of 3000 people- all innocent- and is proud of it. And wants to do it again only with more dead. And some here are actually trying to say that we should listen to his garbage about taxes, etc?